Z/E-photoisomerizations of olefins with 4npi- or (4n + 2)pi-electron substituents: zigzag variations in olefin properties along the T(1) state energy surfaces

[Figure: see text]. A quantum chemical study has been performed to assess changes in aromaticity along the T1 state Z/E-isomerization pathways of annulenyl-substituted olefins. It is argued that the point on the T1 energy surface with highest substituent aromaticity corresponds to the minimum. According to Baird (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1972, 94, 4941), aromaticity and antiaromaticity are interchanged when going from S0 to T1. Thus, olefins with S0 aromatic substituents (set A olefins) will be partially antiaromatic in T1 and vice versa for olefins with S0 antiaromatic substituents (set B olefins). Twist of the C=C bond to a structure with a perpendicular orientation of the 2p(C) orbitals (3p*) in T1 should lead to regaining substituent aromaticity in set A and loss of aromaticity in set B olefins. This hypothesis is verified through quantum chemical calculations of T1 energies, geometries (bond lengths and harmonic oscillator measure of aromaticity), spin densities, and nucleus independent chemical shifts whose differences along the T1 PES display zigzag dependencies on the number of -electrons in the annulenyl substituent of the olefin. Aromaticity changes are reflected in the profiles of the T1 potential energy surfaces (T1 PESs) for Z/E-isomerizations because olefins in set A have minima at 3p* whereas those in set B have maxima at such structures. The proper combination (fusion) of the substituents of set A and B olefins could allow for design of novel optical switch compounds that isomerize adiabatically with high isomerization quantum yields.     

Surface Modification of Fine Particles with a SnO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Film by Using a Polyhedral-Barrel Sputtering System

Fine particles were modified with a thin film of SnO₂ by using a barrel sputtering system that is a dry process. The conditions for the preparation of SnO₂ were studied by reactive sputtering onto a glass plate substrate. The optimal conditions for the preparation of tetragonal SnO₂ were identified as 60% partial oxygen pressure and 1.0 Pa total gas pressure with the substrate at room temperature. Under the optimized conditions, the surfaces of Al flake particles were modified with a thin film of SnO₂. XRD and SEM/EDS analysis of the prepared samples showed that the Al particle surfaces were uniformly modified by a thin film of SnO₂ in all cases. The film thicknesses were 80, 130, and 180 nm at RF outputs of 195, 350, and 490 W. These measured thicknesses coincided with the values estimated from the interference colors of the samples.     

Application of strategically designed sample composition to the rapid analytical screening of milk samples for polychlorinated biphenyls

Strategically designed sample composition (SSC) is a new technique that decreases the number of analytical determinations needed in routine screening to as few as the number of original sample specimens while providing information that is specific to them. Although this new technique has been applied to environmental studies, this paper describes its first application to food safety studies. Contamination of milk samples with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was chosen as a case study to show the usefulness and potential of the SSC technique with a fast analytical procedure that involves saponification of the samples and solid-phase microextraction of the PCBs. A total of 20 sample specimens can be analyzed in 11 determinations with excellent predictions of the positive samples and the concentration levels of the contaminants. The robustness of the strategy was investigated and demonstrated.     

Synthesis and aggregation behavior of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-succinyl-o-carboxymethylchitosan in aqueous solutions

A simple and novel method was developed to successfully synthesize N-succinyl-O-carboxymethylchitosan (NSOCMCS) using N-acylation of chitosan with succinic anhydride. The NSOCMCS structure was characterized by Fourier transform infrared and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance. The aggregation behaviors of NSOCMCS were studied using fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and atomic force microscopy techniques. The critical aggregation concentration of NSOCMCS in water was determined to be 0.2–0.3 mg/ml. The apparent hydrodynamic radium of an NSOCMCS aggregate was dependent on the concentration. The aggregates demonstrated a much swollen association conformation in aqueous solution. The possible aggregation mechanisms for the NSOCMCS in water are discussed. Moreover, a driving force to form an open aggregation morphology was revealed in this study. Aggregation behaviors are important physicochemical properties of NSOCMCS, which impact the potential application in the biomedical field.     

Development of the FTIR properties of nano-structure silica gel doped with different rare earth elements,prepared by sol-gel route

Structural characteristics of pure silica gel (silica-xerogel, SiO₂) and silica gel doped with some rare earth elements (REEs) such as, praseodymium Pr³⁺, and Europium Eu³⁺, Erbium Er³⁺ and Holmium Ho³⁺ ions, with different concentrations ranging from 1 up to 6%, in the form of monolith materials were prepared by sol-gel technique, Using tetra-ethoxysilane as precursor materials, which are of particular interest for sol-gel integrated optics applications. Some structural features of sol-gel derived monolith are analyzed, namely the structure of nano-particle momolith samples, based on X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR). We show that the XRD spectra of α-crystobalite are obtained for the pure samples at 1100°C and even by doping with the four REEs ions.     

The inelastic hard dimer gas: a nonspherical model for granular matter

We study a two-dimensional gas of inelastic smooth hard dimers. Since the collisions between dimers are dissipative, being characterized by a coefficient of restitution alpha<1, and no external driving force is present, the energy of the system decreases in time and no stationary state is achieved. However, the resulting nonequilibrium state of the system displays several interesting properties in close analogy with systems of inelastic hard spheres, whose relaxational dynamics has been thoroughly explored. We generalize to inelastic systems a recently method introduced [G. Ciccotti and G. Kalibaeva, J. Stat. Phys. 115, 701 (2004)] to study the dynamics of rigid elastic bodies made up of different spheres held together by rigid bonds. Each dimer consists of two hard disks of diameter d, whose centers are separated by a fixed distance a. By describing the rigid bonds by means of holonomic constraints and deriving the appropriate collision rules between dimers, we reduce the dynamics to a set of equations which can be solved by means of event-driven simulation. After deriving the algorithm we study the decay of the total kinetic energy, and of the ratio between the rotational and the translational kinetic energy of inelastic dimers. We show numerically that the celebrated Haff's homogeneous cooling law t(-2), describing how the kinetic energy of an inelastic hard-sphere system with a constant coefficient of restitution decreases in time, holds even in the case of these nonspherical particles. We fully characterize this homogeneous decay process in terms of appropriate decay constants and confirm numerically the scaling behavior of the velocity distributions.     

New ferrocene-containing structures: Poly(silyl ester)s

Two new polymeric structures containing ferrocene units along the chains, namely poly(silyl ester)s, have been synthesized and characterized: a geminal poly(silyl ester) (g-PSE) and one having a disiloxane spacer between the silyl ester groups (s-PSE). The condensation polymerization of AA/BB monomer systems in solution was used in both cases as preparation method involving a silicon-containing diol, (diphenylsilane diol or 1,3-bis(hydroxy)-tetramethyldisiloxane), and 1,1′-di(chlorocarbonyl)ferrocene. The polymers were investigated by differential pulse voltammetry in order to evaluate the redox behavior. Due to the presence of the silyl ester groups in the chain, these polymers are hydrolytically degradable.     

Solid-phase microextraction–capillary gas chromatography combined with microwave-induced plasma atomic-emission spectrometry for selenite determination

The use of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with gas chromatography coupled to microwave-induced plasma atomic-emission detection (GC–MIP-AED) is described for selenite [Se(IV)] speciation. Aqueous standards were derivatised with sodium tetraethyl- or tetrapropylborate and extracted by SPME. Headspace extraction of the ethyl and propyl derivatives was studied. Relevant experimental conditions were optimised, including conditions for derivatisation and extraction and those of gas chromatographic analysis. The limits of detection achieved for headspace sampling of derivatised Se(IV) were in the low ng mL^–1 range for both ethylation and propylation. When the method was applied to analysis of selenite in selenised yeast reference material results were in good agreement with the indicated values.     

Phase separation in the formation of hollow particles by suspension polymerization for divinylbenzene/toluene droplets dissolving polystyrene

Phase-separation behavior within polymerizing divinylbenzene/toluene droplet dissolving polystyrenes (PS) was investigated to clarify the formation mechanism of the hollow polymer particles by suspension polymerization. No hollow particles were obtained at a low content of low-molecular-weight PS where phase separation occurred at high conversion. On the other hand, hollow particles were obtained at a high content of high-molecular-weight PS where phase separation occurred at low conversion. The phase separation in an early stage of the polymerization, which was promoted by the presence of PS and cross-links of polydivinylbenzene, was a key factor for the formation of the hollow structure.     

Synthesis and stereochemistry of trans- and cis-2,3-difluoro-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran

The geometrical isomers of 2,3-difluoro-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran have been prepared and their structure assigned on the basis of the nmr spectra. Some suggestions on the conformational situation of two adducts are also reported.